Peru's Congress has taken the first step toward repealing
language that makes violence against gays a hate crime.

The Popular Force party, which controls the congressional
constitutional commission, voted April 4 to repeal Article 1 of Decree 1323,
which lists motives of aggravating circumstances, such as race, religion, and
sexual orientation, in case of a crime.

The amendment has been sent to congressional leaders. It's
anticipated that Congress will consider the motion soon, reported Peru Reports.

If passed, crimes that are motivated by an individual's actual
or perceived sexual orientation will not see an additional hate crime charge.

Peruvian LGBTs aren't alone. Women were included in the effort
to remove the terms from the legislation that would impose harsher punishments,
giving a pass to perpetrators who commit domestic violence or gender-based
violence against women.

The changes in the law have sparked protests in Arequipa,
Lima, and Trujillo.

The community outcry and the five-hour debate about the bill
didn't seem to sway the Popular Force, which is led by two-time presidential
candidate Keiko Fujimori.

Fujimori, 41, is the daughter of former Peruvian President
Alberto K. Fujimori, who led the country from 1990 to 2000. The elder Fujimori
ran the country with an iron fist. He was later convicted of human rights
violations and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Joel Jabiles, the campaign and advocacy coordinator for
Amnesty International in Peru, told Peru 21, "Eliminating such
classification in cases of hate crimes from the penal code only amplifies the
already existing lack of protection and discrimination experienced by LGBT
people in this country."

Ana Izquierdo, a visual artist and founder of Encuentro, a
performance art group in Lima, agreed.

"The reality in Peru is that we are being killed for a
specific reason, so there should be a law that doesn't make excuses under the
pretense of 'homogeneity' in regards to human rights, but rather recognizes the
diversity of and offers justice to each community and their specific needs.
Especially when certain communities are at elevated risk," she said.

An estimated 174 homicides and 382 cases of violence against
LGBT persons have been registered across Peru since 2005, according to the
Observatory of LGBT Rights and HIV/AIDS.

Erika Almenara, a native of Peru and assistant professor of
Spanish at the University of Arkansas, told Peru Reports that the Popular Force
"creates roadblocks in the legal battle to protect the most vulnerable
populations such as the LGBT community.

"The Fujimori party is old-fashioned and continues to
consider those who self-identify with an alternative gender or sexuality as
sick, perverse, etcetera. As such, the party does not believe such individuals
deserve protection," she added.

Same-sex couples will soon be able to tie the knot in the
small British territory, located 300 miles off the coast of Argentina in the
South Atlantic.

The law also included civil unions, opening that up to both
heterosexual and same-sex couples.

The legislation is being sent to Queen Elizabeth II to receive
Royal Assent.

The bill will be returned to Governor Colin Roberts, who
will decide on a day to open wedding registries to same-sex couples.

Homosexuality was decriminalized in the Falklands in 1989.

India OKs national anti-HIV bias law

This month, India became the first South Asian country to
pass a strong national anti-HIV/AIDS discrimination law.

The Indian Parliament on April 12 passed a law providing
strong legal protection against HIV-related discrimination.

"This is an important step forward for people living
with and affected by HIV in India and around the world," Steve Kraus,
director of UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Asia and the Pacific, said in an
April 12 news release. "This legislation begins to remove barriers and
empowers people to challenge violations of their human rights."

The legislation prohibits discrimination against people
living with and affected by HIV in employment, education, housing, and health
care. The law includes protections regarding holding public or private office,
access to insurance, and freedom of movement.

The law also bans unfair treatment of people afflicted with
the virus in public facilities, such as shops, restaurants, hotels, public
entertainment venues, public facilities, and burial grounds. It protects the
rights of people affected by HIV to informed consent.

Furthermore, the legislation contains provisions to increase
access to justice for people affected by HIV. One of the provisions is the
obligation for health-care institutions to establish complaint mechanisms and a
health ombudsman supported by special procedures to be followed in courts,
reported LGBT Weekly.

The legislation was developed over 15 years with the
consultation of various stakeholders working with HIV/AIDS and backed by
UNAIDS. It was finally introduced to the Indian Parliament in 2014.

The law has been well received for the most part. Civil
society leaders voiced concern over a provision that appeared to limit the
government's obligation to provide HIV treatment, according to the newspaper.
However, the government has remedied the issue with a "treat all"
policy, which will guarantee free antiretroviral therapy for everyone.

"We declare that anybody tested positive will be
treated," said J.P. Nadda, Indian minister for health and family welfare.
"This is the level of commitment with which we are working and with which
we will be going forward."

An estimated 2.1 million Indians are living with HIV in
2015. India has the third largest HIV epidemic in the world and the largest in
the Asia and the Pacific region, reported the newspaper.

The law will come into force when it is published in the
Official Gazette.

Got international LGBT news tips? Call or send them to
Heather Cassell at Skype: heather.cassell, or oitwnews@gmail.com